Etymology: Hieracium: classical name hierakion from ancient Greek hierax, "a hawk". The Roman naturalist Pliny believed that hawks fed on this plant to strengthen their eyesight and thus it became the Greek and Latin name for this and similar plants, called hawkweed.Plants: perennial forb with milky juice; stems leafy, mostly single, stout, smooth or with a very short bristly hairs mostly near the top; roots not forming matLeaves: stalked, widely elliptical near the bottom, becoming smaller and stalkless toward the top, both sides bristlyFlowers: head 1/2"-1" wide with yellow rays; inflorescence of several, long-stalked heads in open, long, cylindrical clusters; blooms July-Sept.Habitat: dry; woods, clearings; in sandy soilConservation Status: Native